John Williams is the Youth Work Co-Ordinator at Pavee Point Roma and Traveller Centre. Pavee Point have teamed up with Belong to, to produce a poster for LGBT Traveller awareness, with the help of three young and dedicated girls of the travelling community, Celine Collins (14), Dina Collins (14), and Debbie McCann (17). While John Williams tells us a little bit about Pavee Point, and the aim of the project, the girls give their opinion on LGBT issues in the travelling community, and what they think of the poster project.

Below is the transcript of what John, Celine, Debbie and Dina had to say.

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Pavee Point is a human rights organisation focusing on the rights of Roma and Travellers in Ireland. Pavee Point works in many specific areas, including Drug and Alcohol addiction,Youth Work, Education, Information, Violence Against Women and Health.

John: Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre is a human rights organisation which focuses on the rights of Roma and Traveller here in Ireland. My name is John Williams and I’m the Youth Work Co-ordinator at Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre.

00:23 - 00:25

Music

00:25 - 00:35

John: We have a community development programme, primary health care education, violence against women, drugs and alcohol, communication and the one that I’m involved with which is the Youth Work Programme

00:35 - 00:37

Music

00:37 - 00:46

Dina: We do Youth groups.

Celine: We talk about stuff and all.

Debbie: You get to learn new stuff, meet new people and socialise with different people.

00:46 - 00:50

Music

00:50 - 01:23

John: One of my colleagues, along with other staff within Pavee Point have noticed that there was a need to engage with a process of raising awareness of LGBT young travellers so with conversations that happened with BeLongTo, we decided to explore a joint venture, using their expertise in advocacy work or LGBT young people. And then our own expertise working with travellers to comprise a piece of work that would highlight LGBT travellers within the community.

01:23 - 01:25

Music

01:25 - 01:40

John: So the initial stage was working with the youth groups of BelongTo and Pavee Point and the development of a Traveller specific poster which reach out and resonate with LGBT young people.

01:41

Celine: My name is Celine Collins, I’m 14 and I’m from Finglas. They’re doing a good thing to make the posters. They let them know that it’s alright to come out, to be lesbians or gays.

Debbie: Because you don’t really see much posters out there for gay travellers. My name is Debbie McCann, I’m 17 and I’m from Finglas.